Jazz, Jam, Judges
by moonswirl
Summary: Gleekathon, day one hundred and thirty-six: ABCs #10 Before they can perform "Don't Stop Believing," Artie needs to use his 'pull' and recruit the Jazz Ensemble.


_Started my daily ficlets to make the hiatus pass, then decided to keep going with a second cycle, and then a third, fourth, and fifty cycle. Now here's cycle 6!_

_Walking through a bookstore back in december, I saw the series of books by Sue Grafton that go "A is for...," "B is for...," etc, and I got the idea for this set. It will spread over the end of cycle 6, and carry through cycles 7 and 8, to be posted on alternating days. [And by the time we reach the end, Glee will be a week away!!] What I did is I found three words for each letter that would have some significance to Glee, and I built a plot around it. You with me? Okay, here we go...  
**10 of 26: J is for...**_

* * *

**"Jazz, Jam, Judges"  
Artie & the Jazz Ensemble**

The timing couldn't have been better. He knew they'd all be around, he just had to track them down. The best place to look was usually the cafeteria. A couple of them would have their instruments with them, so all they had to do was listen and the music would lead the way to find them.

That day, he could hear a saxophone – which he could tell was being played by Jack – and a guitar – played by Lisa. The closer he got, he could hear drumsticks tapping on a table… Tony was there, so Clara would be there too – they were never apart.

They were all there, all eight of them: There was Jack, Lisa, Tony, Clara, and the others, Peter, Harry, Ian, and Tyler. When they saw him come, they looked up with greeting nods. Harry, who played keyboard, reached out for a handshake/high five.

"Hey, Artie," Clara sat up from where she'd been, with her back to Tony's shoulder. "How's the new director, ruling with an iron fist?" she smirked, reaching for the orange she'd left on the table, working to peel it.

"Interim director," Artie corrected. "It was a rough start… but it's looking up, which is part of why I'm here…" Peter, who was nearest, took a sniff at that moment, finding a faint scent coming from Artie.

"They put you in the port-o-potty again?" he asked. Artie looked at him. The biggest of them, he felt in part responsible of looking out for the rest of his group, of which he counted Artie.

"At least they didn't get a chance to flip me. Finn got me out."

"Finn Hudson?" Lisa asked, surprised. "Superman…" she nodded, adjusting her hat. Whereas most of them would only wear theirs during some performances, it was just as much a part of her day-to-day look.

"You said you needed something?" Tony asked, as Clara passed him half the orange she'd just peeled.

"Yes," Artie nodded. "We're working on something, Finn wanted me to see if I could get you guys to back us up." The group looked to one another. Tony got up, followed by Clara.

"Come on, let's see what we can do. We actually meant to ask you something, too." Artie nodded, as he followed the eight out of the cafeteria. "What are you thinking of doing, do you know?" Tony asked as they went.

"Don't Stop Believing," Artie nodded.

"Sold!" Clara proclaimed. Tony looked to his girlfriend.

"Journey Junkie," he teased. She smacked his arm before grabbing on to it, walking along.

"They're working on choreography right now, I got dispatched for recruitment in the meantime."

"Well consider us checked in," Tony nodded, looking to his band mates, who confirmed.

"Thanks," he reached out and shook Tony's hand. "What did you guys need?" he asked then, as they were reaching the auditorium.

"Remember, we told you how we'd signed up for this band competition in Cleveland?"

"Yeah, that's… in two weeks?" Tony nodded. Having reached the steps to get to the stage, Artie was lifted and carried over by Peter and Tyler.

"We got a spot," Tyler confirmed.

"I'd have been shocked if you didn't," Artie told them, keeping a firm grasp on his chair as they went. "So how can I help?"

"Lisa's going to be away next week, we're a guitar out for practice," Ian explained as they got on the stage, everyone moving to find their instruments – if they didn't have them already – and set up.

"Right, you got it," Artie told them as he picked up his guitar. Mercedes had asked him what color it was.

It was usually how it went that if they were all together, with their instruments, one of them would inevitably start playing something. And like wild fire, the notes would incite the others to pick up said instruments and join in. That time, it was Lisa, who started playing. The others would start joining in from there. And since they had Artie there, the music was just as inevitably bound to be gifted with a voice to go along.

_[A] "Every time that I look in the mirror / All these lines on my face getting clearer / The past is gone / It went by like dusk to dawn / Isn't that the way / Everybody's got their dues in life to pay_

_Yeah I know nobody knows / Where it comes and where it goes / I know it's everybody's sin / You got to lose to know how to win_

_Half my life's in books' written pages / Lived and learned from fools and from sages / You know it's true / All the things come back to you_

_Sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear / Sing with me, if it's just for today / Maybe tomorrow / The good lord will take you away"_

In some aspects, Artie was one of them. Still he had wanted something more, which had led him to Glee Club. The one who had been the first to congratulate him was Clara, being one other who sang among them. She backed him up here.

_[A, C] "Sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear / Sing with me, if it's just for today / Maybe tomorrow / The good lord will take you away_

_Dream on, dream on, dream on / Dream yourself a dream come true_

_Dream on, dream on, dream on / Dream until your dream come true_

_Dream on, dream on, dream on, dream on / Dream on, dream on, dream on_

_Sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear / Sing with me, if it's just for today / Maybe tomorrow / The good lord will take you away_

_Sing with me, sing for the year / Sing for the laughter, sing for the tear / Sing with me, if it's just for today / Maybe tomorrow / The good lord will take you away"_

When they were done, Artie smirked, looking back to the others. "Call me crazy, sounds like a winner to me." The others chuckled.

"Alright, now you," Tony resettled at the drums. Artie looked at him, confused. "Don't Stop Believing," he reminded him, and Artie nodded. "Here we go…" And they played.

THE END


End file.
